After
decades of research, agency scientists found evidence of the cancer-diesel
link in tests of emissions on animals and human occupational exposure.

The
study’s findings mirror results found in previous research, including studies
done in California. Research published
earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association
also linked exposure to particulate matter in diesel exhaust to lung cancer
(MTR #356).The fact that
this study comes from the EPA, however, is significant in terms of national
policy, since the agency sets Clean Air Act standards. Diesel
emission reduction deadlines set by the Clinton administration would
cut emissions of particulate matter by 90 percent and nitrogen oxides by
95 percent, beginning in 2007.

Although
the Bush administration has expressed support for the emissions reduction
mandate, it has recently expressed interest in a market-based emissions
reduction plan. Under that system, a
cap would be set for the total emissions of on- and off-road diesel sources,
and diesel polluters could bargain for off-sets. The scheme could significantly
reduce incentives for truck and bus manufacturers to produce cleaner-running
vehicles.

In
our region, several transit operations are leading by example. Long
Island Bus and the NYC DOT franchise bus system are the only
transit operators actively pursuing a non-diesel fleet. The
entire LI Bus system is likely to be running on CNG by early 2004.The
fate of the NYC DOT CNG bus program is unclear, given Bloomberg administration
budget cutting priorities and the mayor’s desire to hand city-supervised
bus lines to NYC Transit.